As mentioned in our previous post, we are doing a unit on the Properties of Matter. One standard second graders are expected to meet is: Conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.
We learned that all matter has unique properties that make them a solid, liquid, or gas. But matter also has additional observable properties we can use to describe them. For example, even though all solids can hold their own shape, they don't all look the same. A chair doesn't look (or for that matter, feel) the same as a cotton ball. They have different properties.
We explored different solids and recorded observable properties for each. This seemingly simple investigation produced AMAZING questions and naturally led into the conversation I was saving for tomorrow -- Materials (objects) have different properties that make them useful for different jobs. Check out some of the questions kids came up with:
- Is playdough a solid? Why or why not?
- If you can change an object's shape, is it still a solid?
- How come all solids aren't "hard"?
- Why aren't most houses built round?
- How do you decided what materials to build with?
- Can you describe liquids with the same properties?
There were so many other great questions, but I will keep this post from getting too long. I can tell the kids will really be looking at things through a questioning lens more often.
Tomorrow students will work on this standard: Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.